How Buffy Series Slayed Where Buffy Movie Failed
Few genre shows have made the same cultural impact as Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The beloved Joss Whedon series was based on a movie of the same name.
Whenever a movie fails at the box office and a relaunch as a TV series is announced, audiences tend to prepare for the worst.
Luckily, there is at least one exception: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, directed by Fran Rubel Kuzui (and written by Joss Whedon). This B-movie mess was thrown in our faces in 1992.
As vampires were really hot in those days of The Lost Boys and Fright Night, an idea was born to make another vampire movie for teens.
But this time the protagonist would be your typical cheerleader, an unlikely heroine, destined to become the woman who would save us from the vampire apocalypse.
Rumor has it that when Whedon saw his script being butchered, he walked off the set, never to return.
Years later, he would go on to create a show that has become one of the most famous and popular on television. The Buffy movie had everything going against it.
With a short running time it couldn't even paint the broadest plot brushes properly. The actors had the creative range of a cardboard box.
The special effects left a lot to be desired. The cinematography was subpar. Clichés were all over the place. The list goes on and on. Thankfully, the series rectified all of this.
The movie lacked the soul, the wit, the heart and the scares that the show would later have. The cast of the series, where everyone had character development and purpose, made Buffy (the show) legendary.
The dynamic, the signature Whedon dialogue is what made us fall in love with Buffy and the Scooby Gang. Not to mention the show's relatable humor, genuine emotion and heartbreaking drama. The film lacked all of that.
And yes, Sarah Michelle Gellar, who gave stunning performance and graced us with a phenomenal female lead destined to change TV forever. Nothing, as fans believe, Kristy Swanson (Buffy in the movie) could achieve.
The series gave us The Body, Hush, Once More, With Feeling. The movie gave us nausea.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the movie) is of interest to only a very specific audience: the one who enjoyed the series and wants to know where it came from.